Electric connector



March 22, 1960 w. c. HAssELHoRN ErAL 2,930,021

ELECTRIC CONNECTOR Filed July 3l, 1956 [NVE/VERS.

United States` Patent O AIce ELECTRIC CONNECTOR Walter C. Hasselhorn,Evanston, and John S. Baker, Skokie, Ill., assignors, by mesneassignments, to Cook Electric Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation ofDelaware Application July 31, 1956, Serial No. 601,148

'5 Claims. (Cl. 339-99) The present invention relates to electricconnectors and more particularly to an improved form of connector forconnecting service wires to line wires.

An object of the invention is to provide a connector that willconveniently and quickly connect a pair of service wires to a pair ofinsulation-covered line wires without requiring the line wires to be cutor the insulation covering to be stripped.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a simple andinexpensive device capable of effecting a simple and inexpensiveelectrical connection between line wires and service wires, theconnection being of a kind that will not disturb or injure the linewires and will leave the latter intact at any time it is desirable todisconnect the service wires.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an electricconnector of the type described which may be .easily and readily clampedat any point or location over and upon line wires and effect a firm andquick connec- .tion with one or more service lines.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description when taken in connection with the drawing whichforms a part hereof.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a View in perspective of an electric connector embodying theinvention to show how it may be clamped upon and over line wires and anelectrical connection established with a pair of service Wires withoutcutting the line wires or stripping vor otherwise destroying theinsulation covering the line Wires;

IFig. 2 is an exploded view of the parts of the connector;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken along line 3-3 of Fig. l andlookin-g in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the contactors embeddedin the body portion of the connector;

Fig. 5 is a view partly in elevation and partly in cross section to showthe manner in which the piercing means of the contactors pierce theinsulation covering of the line wires to lengage the same rmly withoutdestroying the insulation covering; and J Fig. 6 is a longitudinalsection of the connector taken along line 6--6 of Fig. .3' and lookingin the direction of the arrows. A

The electric' connector illustrated inthe drawing as one preferredembodiment of the invention comprises complementary members 4 and 5 thatserve essentially as a body and as a cover, respectively, held clampedtogether by a bolt 6, or like fastening member, extending through bothmembers 4 and 5 preferably at the center and made fast by nuts 7 and 8and suitable lock washers 9 and 10.

It will be observed that the mating faces 11 and 12 of members 4 and 5are grooved at 14 and 15, respectively, the arrangement of the groovesbeing optional because one or both of these faces may carry the grooves.

2,930,021 Patented Mai. 22, 1960l 2l When the grooves are in body member4, contactors 17 and 18v are preferably embedded in, say, recesses 19and 20 formed in this body member and opening into the grooves. Eachcontactor member has piercing means designated broadly as 21 at eachend, as shown in detail in Fig. 4. These piercing means 21 compriseteeth in sets of pairs 22 spaced with a V formation 24 between, with orwithout the inside edges 25 of the teeth sharp as may be desired, sothat line wires 26 and 27 may rest in the V opening between the teethand be forced against the edges 25. f

Service wires 28 and 29 are preferably accommodated in passages 30 and31 drilled or otherwise formed in body part 4, say, on a slant, so as toopen into recesses 1'9 and 20. The center of contactors 17 and 18 areYperforated in order that solder may be used to secure' the ends ofservice wires 28 and 29 permanently to the contactors. The service wires28 and 29 are preferably pushed through passages 30 and 31 until theirends lie in recesses 19 and 20. This soldered connection is indicated at32.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the presentconnector may be mounted or clamped about and over line wires 26 and 27without cutting the line wires and without stripping the insulationcovering to make electrical contact with service wires 28 and 29. Thethreads at the ends of bolt 6 can be upset so that nuts 7 and 8 cannotbe backed off, this advantageously, in view of the arrangement andconstruction of the parts, preventing any of these parts from beingseparated completely from the assembly and lost. As observed in Figs. 1and 2, cover 5 may be lifted `far enough along bolt 6 to permit linewires 26 and 27 to be slipped into grooves 14 in body 4. This cover willthen be dropped down upon body 4, and the nut 7 threaded downwardly uponcover 5 is tightly clamped against body 4, the mating faces 11 and 12being brought together, if need be, as shown in Fig. l. This tighteningaction of cover 5 against body 4 will cause teeth 22 to pierceinsulation 35 of line wires 26 and 27 and bring the edges 25 of teeth 22up and against the periphery on both sides of the wires as shown indetail in Fig. 5. By providing a V space 24 between the teeth 22, thelatter will cradle the wires therebetween and thus rmly grip the wiresand provide a firm contact or engagement. Noises or disturbances overthe line, if the connector is used in communications, for example, willtherefore be eliminated. Vibration or swinging movements of line wires26 and 27 often in their suspended position of use -will likewise notaffect the firm electrical contact between both sets of wires, v

, Quite often rural distribution wires will have a sup.- porting Wirelike that indicated at 36 in Fig. l. In such case, it may be desirableto support the connector on wire 36. The bottom of body 4 may have agroove 37 running lengthwise therein, while a clamping plate 38 may becarried on bolt 6 and have a flange 39 that will ride in a groove 40 inbase 4. Without completely removing clamping plate 38, the same can bebacked .down along bolt 6 enough to allow wire 36 to be slipped intogroove 37. Clamping plate 38 can then be brought tightly against thebottom of base 4 to hold the connector assembly tightly supported onsupporting wire 36 by threading nut 8 tightly upwardly against theassembly.

It is pointed out that the connector herein disclosed may be easily andreadily attached at any point along line wires 26 and 27 withoutmutilating them in any way. The piercing of the insulation by teeth 22does not destroy the insulation. The connector may be disconnected atany time and relocated or completely removed lfrom line wires 26 and 2.7without ,requiring their replacement. Thus,- service 1connections can bequickly and easily made -at will and with minimum expense. The connectormay be reused if desired because parts 4 and 5 may be made of insulating,material that willvnot be aected by the elements and will last for along time. The electrical'connections between the line wires and theservice Wires are located midway of the ends of the `body and cover andare protected againstthe elements. 'Moisture may be eiectively excludedfrom between the mating faces 11 and 12 by applying a plastic sealingmaterial at the Atime of clamping the cover 5 upon body 4 after lineWires have been inserted in grooves 14.

In order to provide maximum creepage surface between grooves 14, acenter rib 45 may be provided centrally along face 11 of body 4 and liein a groove 46 in cover 5, a corresponding enlargement 47 being formedon this rib 45 about bolt 6.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing Awill so fully explain thecharacter of our invention that others may, by applying currentknowledge, readily adapt the same for use under varying conditions ofservice, without eliminating certain features, which may properly besaid to constitute the essential items of novelty involved, which itemsare intended to ybe defined and secured to us by the following claims.

We claim:

1. An electric connector comprising a body portion and a cover, bothforming complementary members having parallel grooves for receivinginsulation-covered conductor cords, said body portion having twoexterior grooves in its bottom face, a supporting mount for one of `saidexterior grooves, a clamping plate for holding said supporting mount insaid exterior groove, a iiange on said plate for lpivotally riding inthe other of said exterior grooves, a fastening bolt extending -throughsaid body portion, cover and clamping plate tightly to hold said partstogether, the assemblyv being carried by said supporting mount and withthe conductor cords clamped in said parallel grooves of said body andsaid cover, and means for receiving a pair of service wires in one ofsaid complementary members for electrical connection to said conductorcords.

'2. An electric connector comprising a body portion and -a cover, bothforming complementary members having parallel grooves for receivinginsulation-covered conductor cords, said body portion having twoexterior `grooves in its bottom face, a supporting mount for one of saidexterior grooves,V a clamping Yplate lfor holding said vsupporting mountin exterior groove, a flange on said plate for pivotally riding in theother of said exterior grooves, a fastening bolt extending through saidbody portion, cover and clamping plate tightly'to hold said partstogether, the assembly being carried by said supporting mount and withthe conductorcords clamped in said parallel grooves of said body andsaid cover, saidY body having recesses formed in the base of saidparallel grooves, a contactor strip in each recess, means on saidcontactor strips for piercing said insulation-covered conductor cords,said body having a Apair of passages entering the same from one facethereof and opening into said recesses, said passages being adapted toreceive service wires for connection to said contactor strips.

33. An electric connector comprising a body portion and a cover, bothforming VANmplementary members hav- -ing parallel grooves for receivinginsulation-covered con- Abody having recesses formed therein, acontactor strip for each recess, means on said contactor strips forpiercing said insulation-covered `conductor cords, said body havingpassages entering the same from one face thereof and opening into saidrecesses, said passages being adapt-y ed to receive service lwires forconnection to said con-:i

tactor strips.

4. An electric connector comprising a body portion and a cover, bothforming complementary members having parallel grooves -for receivinginsulation-covered conductor cords, said body portion having an exteriorgroove in lits bottom face, a supporting mount adapted to lie in saidexterior groove, a clamping plate for slidably holding said body andcover upon saidsupporting mount, a fastening bolt extending through saidbody portion, cover and clamping plate tightly to hold said partstogether, the assembly being carried by said supporting mount with theconductor cords clamped in said parallel grooves of said body and saidcover, and means for receiving service wires in said `body portion forelectrical connection to said conductor cords, said means includingelectrical contactor strips lying in said parallel groovesfor a fixedconnection to said'service Wires.

5. An electric connector comprising a body portion and a cover, bothforming complementary members having parallel grooves for receivinginsulation-covered conductor cords, said body portionhaving an exteriorgroove in its bottom face, a supporting mount adapted to lie `in saidexterior groove, a clamping plate for slidably holding said body andcover upon said supporting mount, a fastening bolt extending throughsaid body portion, cover and clamping plate tightly to hold said partstogether, the assembly being carried by said supporting mount with theconductor cords clamped in said parallel grooves of said body and saidcover, said body having recesses formed therein, a contactor `strip foreach recess, means on said rcontactor strips for piercing saidinsulation-covered conductorcords, said body having passages enteringthe same from one face thereof and opening into said recesses, saidpassages being adapted to receive service wires for connection to saidcontactor strips.

FOREIGN PATENTS

